IYC Zonal Election: ZECO screens Olu-Derimo, promises free, fair polls

By Timi Black

Ahead of the forthcoming Western zone zonal election of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, the zonal electoral committee ZECO has successfully screened Comrade Olu-Derimon Omaghomi who is a major contender of the zonal chairmanship contest.

Congress gathered the IYC western zone elections had been scheduled on the 5th June, 2024 in a yet to be announced venue.

Reacting after the screening, Olu-Derimon expressed his deep appreciation to the ZECO on how they had been going about the electoral process, noting that the Emmanuel Akpule led ZECO had all the needed requirements and credibility to conduct free, fair and credible elections in the zone.

Again, the Chairmanship hopeful who is running on his scorecard while he served as secretary had promised to initiate a bill to the Delta and Ondo state House of assembly for the Establishment of Delta State waterways authority and Ondo State waterways authority.

Similar bill he proposed in Edo last year that his gaining attention of the Edo state government if elected he had also promised to form a strong alliance with the sir Jonathan Lokpobiri led National executive to draw the attention of the federal government to provide adequate funding for the maritime university Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu kingdom.

In likewise manner, the chairmanship hopeful had admonished those who are putting up effort to distract Chief Dennis Otuaro on his appointment as the PAP administrator to see such acts as inimical to Ijaw people, adding that Chief Dennis Otuaro needs all Niger Deltans and Ijaw people in particular to rally round him to succeed.

The statement added, “I have earnestly prayed for someone from Western Zone to mount that office because since the inception of the PAP program aside Hon. Kingsley Kuku, we have never had the opportunity to serve in that office and we all can attest to the fact that Hon. Kingsley Kuku stands out and I’m certain that Dr Dennis Otuaro will surpass the record of our leader Hon. KK on that office.

“Three major Areas I want the new coordinator to anchor on are, the completion of the Bomadi and Gelegele training centres, prompt payment of monthly allowance and other entitlements benefits to our ex-agitators, thirdly and very importantly, is the continuation of scholarship/training abroad and local universities for all various programs and degrees with an intention of fulfilling the complete circle of the program for our ex-agitators.

“I’m from an oil producing community and one of our programs in that sector is to monitor all the IOC’s and LOC’s to see that they don’t cheat our oil producing communities on the implementation of the PIA, petroleum industrial Act”, he emphasised.